The first time Benji, a 5-year-old Maltese mix, checked into the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue with her owner, something seemed a bit off: The metal food and water bowls just would not do. So the staff scrambled, offering the little dog 10 options until she found a porcelain one she liked. And now that she’s a frequent guest, they store that bowl for her next visit.

Gone are the days when hotel guests traveling with their dogs had to sneak them into their rooms or pack their own chew toys. The welcome mat is out, and many hotels are going all out to please four-legged guests.

Some provide custom bedding, toys and fresh-cooked food. Many offer maps of nearby off-leash areas and pet-friendly restaurants. Others go further with dogsitting, walks and even wilderness hikes.

More vacationers than ever are bringing along their family pets.

According to American Pet Products Association 2024 surveys, 9 out of 10 owners say they’ve traveled with their pet in the last year, compared with 8 out of 10 in the 2021-22 study.

For some travelers, pet care is becoming just as important as a pool or a spa in choosing a hotel. Some properties have staff dedicated to pets. Others tap outside professionals. Kimpton Hotels in the United States has teamed up with the dog care company Wag! for walks and day care. Guests at the Pan Pacific Hotel in London can ask the pet concierge to make arrangements for walks with Paws Galore Pet Sitters or a canine massage at Shoreditch Dog House. Other hotels provide lists of approved vendors for guests seeking pet care.

At NUMU, a boutique hotel in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Gustavo Vasquez, a food and beverage manager, also walks the hotel’s one or two canine guests each week at the nearby park. Like most hotel dog walkers, Vasquez sends a report card and photos to the owner after their outings. A one-hour walk is $30, with sitting services at $20 an hour for longer periods. If a visiting dog seems lonely in the room, Vasquez may take it (with the owner’s permission) to the rooftop bar to mingle or to hang out with him in his office.

Some hotels cater to dogs with a more adventurous spirit. On Sunday mornings at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, New Hampshire, a “trail tail guide” will take up to four canine guests on a complimentary 30-minute hike while their owners can track them using a GPS device on their collar connected to a phone app.

Hotels have indoor dogs covered too. With 24 hours’ notice, the Pan Pacific will provide a linen floor mat embroidered with the pet’s name by an in-house team of tailors, and the pet can take it home. And meals created by a dog nutritionist for the hotel include organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon, and lamb sausages.

Dogs now have more options to try out their sea legs, too. Though cruises have generally barred pets, Cruise Tails will be offering a one-week voyage in early 2026 for dogs (and owners), departing from Tampa, Florida. The itinerary promises prancing, splashing and costumes, with double-occupancy balcony rooms (that’s two humans and one dog) starting at $7,000. And don’t worry about seasickness: There will be a veterinarian on board.